1. Field
The present invention relates generally to apparatus for dispersal of liquid material, and more particularly to an apparatus to adapt an air blower to perform such dispersal of liquid material.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many devices have been conceived to adapt common air blowers such as those used to blow leaves and grass clippings to apply certain dry or liquid treatments such as herbicides, fungicides, pesticides and fertilizers to lawn and garden flora. These include U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,097 which discloses an attachment for a portable blower which uses gravity feed via a feed tube to effect injection of the liquid to be dispersed into the air stream. U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,384 discloses an attachment for injecting dry compounds into the air stream generated by a leaf blower, again using a gravity feed technique. U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,327 describes a system for permitting a leaf blower to distribute dry material whereby a hopper containing the dry material accepts a suction tube which communicates a low pressure effect to the hopper. The low pressure effect is generated by a Venturi throat formed in a discharge tube of the leaf blower.
The above devices, while likely effective for application of a given material, have certain disadvantages. For example, external feed tubes may encumber use of the leaf blower. Gravity fed systems typically do not exhibit the performance exhibited by pressurized systems. In addition, they have the requirement that material containers must be held at a height sufficient to generate sufficient exit velocity into the air stream.
An apparatus is needed which provides simple, reliable, inexpensive means of adapting a leaf blower to be used in application of liquid treatments. Such an apparatus could be an accessory to existing blower systems or incorporated into a blower. Such a device would also allow unhindered use of the blower system.